Automatic auxiliary flow bean



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 16, 1942. J. B. NEWELL ETAL I AUTOMATIC AUXILIARY FLOW BEAN Filed Oct. 2. 1939 I N I J. B.- N

June 16, 1942.

EWELL' ETAL AUTOMATIC AUXILIARY FLOW BEAN Oct. 2, 1939 Filed 2. Sheets-Sheet 2 J07??? .B-Ne welz I Jame E,L0w

INVENTORS ATTORNEYS Patented June 16, 1942 AUTOMATIC AUXILIARY FLOW BEAN John B. Newell and James E. Low, Monument, N. Mex.

Application October 2, 1939, Serial No. 297,578

1 Claim.

Our invention relates to the art of flowing on wells and the like and more particularly to an automatic auxiliary flow bean.

In the operation of oil wells and the like, a choke is secured to the end of the tube and employed to reduce the rate of flow and thereby secure a flow that may be lifted by the available pressure and to preserve the well. There is a rate of flow in each particular well that is most desirable from the stand-point of both elevating the oil and of preserving the well. This particular rate, which is sought to be governed, varies widely with different wells and also from time to time in the same well. This rate of flow may not be and often is not ascertained until after the tubing is in place and the choke, attached to the latter, is adjusted. Thus, when the rate of flow varies, it is necessary to adjust the choke to compensate for the variation in the rate of fiow. Due to the variation from time to time in the rate of flow, frequent adjustment of the choke is necessitated.

Therefore, one of the principal objects of our invention is to provide a means for automatically maintaining the desired rate of flow of the Well.

Another object of our invention is to provide an automatic auxiliary flow bean adapted to be attached to the well tubing adjacent to the choke to regulate the flow of fluid upwardly thru the tubing.

A further object of our invention is to provide a device of the above described character which is simple in construction, durable in use, efiicient in operation and economical to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, appended claim and annexed drawings.

Referring to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of our invention illustrating the same as it would be attached to a pipe from the well or from the tube in the well.

Figure 2 is an end elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a detailed transverse sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of Figure 3.

In practicing our invention, as illustrated in the drawings, we provide a valve casing 5 having right angularly disposed inlet and outlet passages 6 and 1 respectively, with the latter connected to and in communication with the side of flow pipe 8 on the downstream side of the adjacent choke 9. Inasmuch as the choke 9 forms no part of the present invention per se, a detailed description and illustration of the same is not believed warranted.

The upper end of the casing 5 defining the inlet passage 6 is interiorly and exteriorly threaded as at l0 and II respectively. A pair of upper and lower apertured disks I2 and I3 are exteriorly threaded for engagement with the threads l0 whereby saiddisks are secured to the casing5 within the upper end of the inlet passage 6. The walls of the disks l2 and i3 defining the centrally disposed apertures therein are provided with oppositely disposed circumferentially extended recesses defining a groove 14 in which is positioned a disk-shaped valve seat I5 formed with a centrally disposed opening [6 extending therethrough. Obviously, removal of the upper disk I2 permits replacement of the valve seat l5 when desired and adjustment of the disks l2 and [3 with respect to each other serves to maintain the valve seat [5 fixed therebetween and in adjusted position with respect to the upper end of the casing 5.

The threads II have threaded thereon the lower threaded end of a sleeve ll, the upper end of which is interiorly threaded and has threaded therein the lower end of an inlet connection [8 fashioned with a bottom l9 integrally formed with a subjacent and centrally disposed collar 20, the latter being provided with a bore 21 extending therethrough and communicating with the interior of the connection [8.

Extending through the opening N5 of the valve seat I5 is the upper end section of a valve stem 22 having superjacently mounted thereon a ball valve member 23 for seating engagement with the valve seat [5 whereby to close communication between the sleeve I1 and the casing 5. The lower end section of the valve stem 22 slidably extends through the lower end of the casing 5, the latter being provided with a packing gland 24 surrounding the valve stem to preclude leakage of fluid from within the casing.

The casing 5 has attached thereto a subjacently disposed U-shaped bracket 25 comprising a pair of upwardly extending spaced arms 26 connected together at their lower ends by a transverse section 21 through which the lower end section of the valve stem 22 extends and slidably operates. The lower end section of the valve stem 22 is provided with threads 28 and has a pair of adjusting nuts 29. Sleeved on the valve stem 22 between the nuts 29 and section 21 is a compression spring 30 normally acting to urge the valve stem upwardly and the member 23 away from the seat [5 for a purpose hereinafter set forth.

The nuts 29 are adjustable to regulate the tension of the spring 30 for a purpose hereinafter more fully understood. Ihe lower end of the valve stem 22 is provided with a stop nut 3| and a lock nut 32 whereby to engage the under face of the section 2'! and limit the upward movement of the valve stem 22 when the latter is operated by the spring 30. The upper end of the valve stem 22 has fixed thereon and in engagement with the member 23 a disk or plate .33 of a diameter greater than the diameter of the bore 2| of the collar 20 whereby fluid flowing through the collar 20 will engage the upper face of the plate 33 and urge the member 23 into engagement with the seat I5 against the tension of the spring 39. Furthermore the member 23 is urged toward en gagement with the seat l5, against the tension of the spring 30, by the pressure difference between the chamber of casing 5, and the chamber of sleeve IT. A higher pressure is maintained in the chamber of sleeve I1 by restricting the upward movement of member 23 as described above by stop nut 3|.

In operation, it being understood that the choke 9 is adjusted for a desired rate of flow and the spring 39 likewise adjusted with respect to said rate of flow, when the pressure from the well is sufiicient to maintain the desired rate of flow through the choke 9 the pressure from the well will maintain the valve member 23 in seating engagement with the seat l5 and thus preclude flow of fluid from the well through the connection l8 and passage 1 into flow line 8. However, should the pressure decrease, the spring 3!] serves to operate the valve stem 22 and unseat the valve member 23 from the seat 15, thereby permitting additional fluid to flow from the well through the connection I8 and passage 1 into the flow line below the choke 9 thereby maintaining the desired flow of the fluid.

It is obvious that the invention is not confined to the hereindescribed use therefore as it may be utilized for any purpose to which it is adaptable. It is therefore to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific construction as illustrated and described, as the same is only illustrative of the principles of operation, which are capable of extended application in advance forms, and that the invention comprehends all construction within the scope of the appended claim, i. e. an automatic valve actuated by the pressure difference upstream and downstream from'a valve or orifice for the purpose of ments being exteriorly screw threaded to engage the said threaded portion and having annular r v s their nn r d e an ann ar valve seat having its outer portion fitted in the grooves.

of t suppo e m t a s r e v r nsversely thereby, a valve stem slidably supported on the said outlet section and extending. axially through the center opening of the valve Seat. a

ball valve secured on the stem and adapted to,

engage the seat for closing the passagertherethrough, a spring operative to yieldingly urge the valve to an open position removed from the seat, and a disk secured transversely on the stern within the valve chamber.

JOHN B. JAMES E. LOW. 

